Spoiler: Daredevil Season 2 Brings Back Another Character

Season 1 of Daredevil kept the character’s broader mythos mostly limited to the background and shout-outs to Marvel Universe continuity for hardcore fans, but season 2 is positively loaded with supporting characters from the return of Stick and Claire Temple to the debuts of The Punisher, Elektra, and The Hand. With all that going on, one could be forgiven for thinking that the Netflix series had reached its limit in terms of which new (or old) players could join the unfolding storyline.

However, a fan site has acquired some set photos that appear to confirm the return of at least one more fan-favorite character.

The images (via MCU Exchange), which have not been commented on officially by any sources from Marvel, appear to show actor Vincent D’Onofrio walking to his trailer on set, which would seem to indicate that his season 1 character of Wilson Fisk — a.k.a. Kingpin — will be returning for season 2. Last seen having been sent to prison, Kingpin was arguably the most well-received element of Daredevil so far. Fans and critics alike lauded the veteran actor’s complex performance as a fearsome yet vulnerable criminal mastermind manipulating New York’s criminal factions as part of a scheme to gentrify Daredevil’s Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood.

It’s equally plausible that Fisk might play an entirely different role, however, given the presence of the season’s other new recurring character, The Punisher. Traditionally, The Punisher is depicted as a troubled military veteran who declares war on organized crime after his family is killed in the crossfire of an inter-gang conflict. It’s not known whether Punisher will get his origin as part of season 2’s story or if he will have already begun his story beforehand. But if Frank Castle’s family died because of the gangland actions Fisk was behind in the first season, the vigilante could well be gunning for Kingpin himself — which is sure to cause consternation for Daredevil, who hates Fisk but also refuses to execute his enemies and (in the comics) has come into frequent conflict with The Punisher over this difference.

On the other hand, the most possible scenario of all might be that Fisk is rejoining the series in an extremely limited capacity — perhaps appearing at the very end of the season as a teaser for future events rather than as an active part of this story. The Netflix Marvel series still have two more characters to introduce in the build-up to the Defenders crossover in Luke Cage and Iron Fist, and neither of them is known for having especially memorable enemies in their own right. Could Marvel be aiming to boost the profile of either of those franchises by teasing an appearance by what many still call the Cinematic Universe’s best villain? We won’t have to wait long to find out — Daredevil season 2 hits Netflix in less than two weeks.

Daredevil season 1 and Jessica Jones season 1 are now available on Netflix. Daredevil season 2 will debut on Netflix on March 18th, 2016, followed by Luke Cage season 1 later in 2016. Release dates for Jessica Jones season 2, Iron Fist, and The Defenders on Netflix have not yet been announced.